Unforeseen
by Shadowluver1242
Summary: Sonic and Shadow meet on a chance encounter and partake in...certain actions. They soon realize there will be consequences for their actions. Contains Sonadow/m-preg/adult themes
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1:**

Slipping to the edge of the crevice, he panted heavily and only just managed not to go over the edge. The world-renowned hero faced his foe with a snarl. _Playing dirty, huh? Tryna throw me in the water and watch me drown? Or woudja prefer I freeze ta death first?_ Having to deal with his one fear being frozen and melting on the ground beneath his feet was bad enough; now the crazed maniac that called himself a genius wanted to fight him? If anything, the villain needed to go on a diet, not worry about what the blue hedgehog was up to. Did he really expect to win this time? Was it any different than the last few hundred times?

Cackling loudly, the professor grinned at his victim, "So close! If only you'd gone over! Look like you'll have to deal with these missiles!" Firing said weapons, Eggman watched as the hedgehog used them to his own advantage, homing in on them until he finally connected with the machine itself the scientist sat upon, sending both flying backwards. Horrible noises filled the air as metal creaked, scratched, and dented before finally settling.

The blue blur grinned at the sight, "C'mon, Egghead, you can do better than that!" Said human made the machine get back up, creaking and groaning, "You'll pay for that, hedgehog!" And he did. Before the mass of blue spines knew it _he_ was flying through the air and headed straight for the water. Twisting in midair, his hands gripped the edge of the crevice. The rock wall crumbled under his fingers, making him slip and struggle to hang on. Feet scrambled on the rough surface, only breaking more off.

A crash from above him shook the ground, making him slip further down the crevice side. _What was that?_! "Faker!" The blue hedgehog looked up, seeing a hedgehog hybrid holding a hand out to him. Letting go of the rock face and quickly gripping tightly to the offered hand, he was immediately pulled back onto safety of the crevice edge. Panting with effort he managed a smile, "Thanks, Shads. I owe you one!" A 'hmph' met his statement, "Enough with that ridiculous nickname, Faker." The hedgehog groaned, "But it's so much faster than saying _Shadow_ every time I see ya!" The name was pronounced slowly and made it sound as if it was a burden to speak. Dark eyes narrowed, "It takes more effort for you to think it than to simply say it. No more." One emerald eye closed playfully, "Only if _you_ stop calling me 'faker.'" A snort, "As if that would happen. I find that a more suiting name than _Sonic_ ," copying the other's motion of pronouncing the word as if it poisoned his mouth.

Metal scrapping together caught their attention, the scientist finally getting the machine to respond to his orders again. Azure glanced at the black hedgehog, "Guess this conversation'll have to wait. Care to join me?" A grunt confirmed his question as they both rushed into action.

The machine was quickly torn apart by their actions, causing the controller to abandon the pile of scrap metal and retreat, yelling a threat about 'next time.' "Well that was easy! Thanks for the help, Shads." Said hybrid growled at the use of the nickname once again, not granting him the pleasure of a response. The blue speedster walked around the debris, "I swear Eggman's machine's just get easier and easier ta beat." Black arms crossed, "Which was why you were almost killed, correct?" Sonic grinned, "Hey, if there wasn't a cliff there the fight woulda been over a whole lot faster!" Pausing in front of the other he gave him a genuine smile, "Thanks by the way. For saving my hide from a horrible watery grave. Means a lot." Rubies closed, "I would not have had to save you if you were more strategic in your fighting mannerisms." A wink, "Love ya too, Shads!" _That's the closest to a 'you're welcome' I'll ever get. But it'll do._ Turning away, he walked backed toward the debris, "Ya'know...I've been meaning ta talk ta ya 'bout somethin'..." A red shoe kicked the metal in awkward tension.

Rubies flicked at the sudden movement, the vibrations had caused a limb of the immobile machine to be knocked off balance, flying towards the blue hedgehog who seemed to be too caught up in his own thoughts to notice. Growling he flung himself forward, "YOU IDIOT!"

Azure felt a push, landing on his side a little ways away. He heard the hiss from the other as a thud echoed in blue ears, before a splash resounded below. Panic immediately flooding his senses he rushed forward, looking over the edge and calling out the other's name. When no answer came he trembled, "Oh I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna die," before throwing himself over the edge after the black hedgehog.

The pure shock of the cold water nearly made him pass out, as if being surrounded in your greatest fear wasn't enough. Emerald eyes tried to open, but the rushing water only made them sting. Overwhelmed and confused, he considered the probability of actually finding the black hedgehog in the murky water, and whether he or not he was even going to survive this. He cursed his idiocy for jumping into the water when he himself didn't know how to swim. Perhaps the other didn't either. The freezing temperatures made him grow stiff as he desperately tried to get to surface while being dragged down stream. Feeling fatigued, his attempts grew less powerful as bubbles came from his mouth.

A faint feeling of arms wrapping around his torso nearly went unnoticed, until he realized his head was above water. Gasping and holding on to his rescuer for dear life, he dragged them back under several times, until finally hover shoes hit sand and slowly pulled them both onto the shore. Both coughing and gagging to get the water from their lungs, they collapsed on the grass near the now shallow river. Laying on their backs and starring at the darkening sky, their chests heaving, the black hedgehog panted to the other, "Now...you owe me...three..." The other chuckled in between coughs, turning his head towards the other, "Who's counting?"

The alien half breed sat up, suddenly glaring at the other furiously, "What were you thinking?! You can't swim!" The hedgehog chuckled breathlessly and shrugged, "I'm too much of a hero for my own good I guess. I didn't want ya ta drown." The other gave an irritated grunt, "I'm immortal, remember? Even if I would drown the chaos energy would bring me back." Emerald eyes snapped open, "...you mean I _didn't_ have ta jump in the water?" Of course the other refused an answer to an obvious question. Sonic sighed, "Oh well...I-It's the thought that counts, right?" His body had started to tremble from the cold. He noticed the other in a similar situation. "I d-doubt a long run h-home w-would be good in this c-cold, huh?"

Red striped quills shook as their owner turned his head side to side, "Y-you would certainly freeze along the way." He tried to desperately not to stammer and cease his body's shivering, but to no avail. Trying to hide his weakness from his rival was growing to be too much. They needed to get out of the wind. Suddenly remembering a small shelter not too far away from their current location, he turned to the other, "T-there's a tree close by. It's hollow inside. We can take shelter there until we dry."

The azure nodded quickly, sitting up, "S-sounds good. Lead the w-way." Both hedgehogs struggled to their feet before walking deeper into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

The blue hedgehog followed the other. Before long he began to see a significantly large tree coming into view. The forest had been known for having ancient trees, and Sonic was sure this was one of them. The life-giving roots were not entirely enclosed in the soil. Seeing as the tree was very much alive and not rotting away, the hedgehog assumed the hollow spot must be encased in the roots directly under the trunk itself. Although a bit unnerving of having such large body on top of you, it was most likely very safe and away from the wind. They paused at the base of the tree, both removing their wet articles of clothing. The hedgehog rubbed his arms in an attempt to keep warm. It was then he noticed the bruises and small cuts he had sustained in the fight. None were serious. The cuts had already stopped bleeding and were cleaned in the freezing water that cauterized them on contact. The bruises, although sore, would heal soon enough.

His glance drifted to the black hedgehog, remembering the sickening thud the sharp piece of metal had made when it came into contact with his torso. His eyes widened as a long cut he hadn't noticed before was present on Shadow's ribcage. Although the frozen water had stopped the bleeding momentarily, the reheating of his body had caused the wound the open and bleed freely along the hedgehog's side and down to his hip. The hedgehog moved a bit stiffly, but hadn't seemed to notice the wound, or hadn't bothered to draw attention to it at least.

Emerald eyes suddenly locked with ruby. A low growl was heard as the black hedgehog was stared at. The other ignored the warning, moving closer, "Y-You're bleeding!" The hybrid glanced at the wound, putting a hand on it to see it was still leaking the life fluid, "It's nothing." The hero huffed, "It's not n-nothing, Shads!" Taking his wet gloves, he began to rip them apart into small pieces, which was a rather difficult task with his hands trembling. The other glared at him, "What are you d-doing?" The question went unanswered until the latter had finished tying the pieces together to make a long piece of fabric, "Stopping the bleeding." He moved towards the injured hog as the other moved away, bristling, "I'm fine! My body's advanced healing will stop it soon enough." Azure ignored him, "Let's at least k-keep it clean!" He managed to corner the other and wrap the make-shift bandage around his torso, before tying it tightly, earning a pained hiss from the other, "there."

The black throat rumbled in a growl at the other, which once again went ignored. The latter looked away, "Thanks...for saving me...again." The blue hedgehog felt responsible for the wound, hence wanting to take care of it. The older hedgehog didn't answer, moving towards the ancient tree. Sonic followed him as he went to the small entrance. Peering inside the small canopy, the hedgehog whipped his head towards his elder, "T-there's hardly any room in here at all! H-how're we both sposed t-ta fit?" The other had grabbed a small branch to cover the entrance and protect from the wind, "B-body heat is the fastest way to warm up. If we stay out here we could f-fall victim to hyperthermia." The young hedgehog suddenly remembered how cold he was, his body starting to go numb, "S-so what, are we supposed to cuddle or s-something?" The question was said in a joking tone, but his latter was displeased with his statement, "If you prefer to freeze to death, hedgehog, be my guest!" It seemed when the black hedgehog was angry his stuttering was forgotten. The peach chest moved in a chuckle, "Relax, I was j-just joking." _Being next to_ that _body is definitely not the worst thing in the world._ Before any further argument was issued, he squeezed through the narrow opening, the low ceiling forcing him to crawl to get to the most open part, the other following after covering the entrance.

Side by side, they laid in silence. Their wet clothing was left outside to dry, and to Sonic's awkward realization, they were by most standards lying naked together. Curious emerald eyes couldn't help themselves from glancing over the other's body. The hedgehog was certainly, as he had once put it, perfectly engineered: muscles visible yet well hidden by the silky black fur, not an inch of excess body fat to be found, and of course, the white fluff of chest fur. The red striped hands caught his attention. Unlike his own, the fingers were long and the nails sharpened to a point. Now that he thought about it, the other's ears grew more into a point while most hedgehogs' were round. And of course there was the coloring and natural highlights along with the piercing red irises that could kill. He assumed the other's 'unusual' body traits were inherited by the black arm's side.

Shadow's eyes flicked to his left, where the other wasn't. He could feel the other's eyes looking him up and down. As much as he wanted to beat the living daylights out of the idiot, he had to admit, he was warming up. One hand rested over his middle as breathed slowly, trying not to let the awkward silence drive him mad. He felt the other shift and squirm. His ears flattened a fraction in annoyance as he tried to ignore it. After several minutes of the other moving about, his patience had all but run out.

"What is it, Faker?!" He felt the other relax, "I couldn't take the silence anymore! Plus just sittin' here's so boring!" His elder's sigh sounded more like a groan, "This wasn't meant to be fun! We're only doing what we have to in order not freeze to death." Peach thumbs twiddled together, pouting, "That doesn't mean this has ta be boring..." Exasperated, a black hand drew up to massage the owner's forehead, " _Fine._ What do you want to talk about?" The other shrugged, "...how's your side?" Ruby eyes flicked at him, "...I'm fine! You don't have to keep nagging me over it!" Sonic flinched, "...sorry..." Ebony sighed, "I appreciate your concern. But I assure you it's nothing to worry about." Blue glanced at him, "...I guess I just feel guilty...it was my fault that happened after all..." "You were distracted. Just try to keep focused next time." A nod.

Silence reigned again, "Hey...you remember...I wanted ta ask ya somethin'?" The other turned towards him a bit more, "Yes. What is it?" "Well..." His hands fumbled on his chest again, "You've been gone for a while...I used ta see ya all the time and now...I hardly ever see ya at all...Is everythin' alright?" He felt the bigger hedgehog beside him exhale slowly and the black lids closed, "Everything's fine. I've just...had a lot on my mind." "Well I may not look like it, but Imma great listener," his peach face moved into a smile, trying to ease the other into feeling more comfortable. Thankfully, he saw one edge of the other's mouth move just slightly in amusement, "That is a bit surprising." "Hey, c'mon now!" He nudged the other with an elbow playfully, "There's a lot you don't know 'bout me!" "Hmm, I'm suppose," the other almost smiled, before opening his eyes again, "It's nothing that concerns you, hedgehog. I'm just...trying to find my place in this world after the Black Arms came, trying to find what I enjoy doing and what would be right for me." Emerald eyes looked at him with a smile, "That's not so bad. Everyone goes through that." The other looked at him, "Really?" "Sure! Everyone at some point in their lives wanna know what their purpose in life is. What they're meant ta do, what they want ta do and what they're good at. Heck, I'm still figurin' that out myself." Black eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

A sigh, "I mean...I'm not _always_ a hero and fightin' crime, ya'know? When I'm not doin' that I'm just a regular person. Spending my time at home by myself and tryin' ta make the time go faster ta the next time I have somethin' ta do." "I thought you lived with Miles?" "Tails? Nah, he used to live with me but he built himself a big ol' workshop somewhere. Spends most of his time there now, even has a bed in there. He stops by every now an' then to pick up a tool er something, but otherwise I don't see 'im much." Silence again. Blue forced a smile to lighten the mood, "'nough about me. Whatta bout you? You see Rouge a lot? You guys have any _sleep overs?_ " The word was so intentionally emphasized to mean something other than what the other had said, it almost made the older hedgehog smack him, especially seeing that ridiculous grin form on his face, "Rouge and I have a purely platonic relationship. She acts more as if she's my mother than anything." His ear flicked at the other's laugh. "I suppose she would want me to say I live with her, but really I don't. Rouge gave me a separate bedroom to sleep and put my belongings in. However, I own very little and do not require sleep. I feel obligated to visit her as a way of thanking her, I suppose. But I typically never stay for too long." Peach arms crossed to rest a blue head on, "Restless, huh? Can't keep still?" "It's not that. Not completely. I just don't feel I deserve to take advantage of her like that." "Mmm. I get that, I guess."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3:**

Azure shivered, remembering how cold he still was. Now that the sun was setting the little warmth the world had was slowly fading away. His fur, while not drenched, was still damp, making him colder than he would have liked to admit. He could feel the other radiating heat, as if he was a heater himself. Trying not to be too obvious, he slowly scooted closer to the other, trying to make his body engulf the warmth. Unfortunately, the victim of his act noticed, "Faker? Are you cold?" He shook his head quickly, "N-no, no, I'm fine!" An eyebrow raised, "So you're moving closer to me because you're warm?" "...Ok maybe a little...why're you so warm?!" "My body radiates chaos energy. The energy in turn creates heat, which makes my body warmer than the usual mobian. I also removed my inhibitor rings so that the energy is more active, which should give off more heat." Sonic, trying not to offend the other, and yet desperately trying to warm his shaking muscles, moved as close as he possibly could, turning towards the other a bit, "O-oh...so, are ya all warmed up then?"

Shadow was never a fan of close contact, and having this hedgehog pressed up against his body was starting to overwhelm him, but he also did not wish any harm to come to the other, despite their rivalry, and tried to ignore his instincts to move away, "My body temperature is still lower than normal." The hero made a sound relative to a 'tsk', "Why do ya always do that?" The other blinked in surprise, "Do what?" "You always say the most complicated things ta mean somethin' that can be explained in two words! I don't get you." "I don't understand." "Like what ya just said, 'my body temperature is still lower than normal' when ya can easily say the same thing with a simple, 'I'm cold.'" A pause, "Apologies. The professor raised me to have excellent grammar. I am...not used to speaking as people do now." A small smile, "It's alright. I guess you were raised _years_ ago after all." Blue snickered at his own joke while the other resolved to growl.

The hero shivered again, his extremities so cold they turned a bright red, as he tried to keep himself from trembling. Ruby eyes flicked in concern for the other. He himself was cold as well, but his body was meant to adjust to temperatures easier than a normal mobian. He knew their current position was doing little to warm the other up, especially with their fur still damp. Mentally sighing in immediate regret with what he was about to do, he nudged the other, "Lie on your back." The other blinked, "W-what? Why?" Without giving a direct answer, the alien half breed pushed the other over until he laid flat, then proceeded to crawl on top of him, pressing the other down with his weight in an attempt to warm the other up with his close contact. The cold from the other made him shiver slightly.

Heat rushed instantly to a peach face as its owner refused to move, "Sh-Shadow...what are you doing?!" Said hedgehog looked at him, a blush clear on his face as well, even though it remained in the stern frown he always wore, "I'm warming you. Your body is very cold. If you don't warm up you'll fall ill, possibly contract hyperthermia." Emerald looked away, "Y-you're kinda cold too. I guess we're warming each other up?" Tan smirked slightly, "I thought you said I was warm?" Darker blush, "H-hey, I'm just tryin' ta make this a little less awkward, okay?!" The black hedgehog laid his head down on the other's shoulder, "Just try not to think about it." This close contact was not his favorite thing either, but he tried his best to ignore it.

Silence again. Blue started to feel his body warm up. He hoped they didn't have to stay in this awkward position much longer, "Ya know, you're heavier than ya look." He snickered a little. The creation ignored his rude comment, "My body is built to have a high muscle content, and I'm certain you're around the same weight as I am." Peach smirked at the opportunity, "Care to test that theory?" Black lids blinked in surprise before he felt himself flipped over, the other crawling on top of him. Ruby eyes widened in surprise as the tan muzzle turned a dark red.

With a smirk still present on his face the other forcefully pushed their noses together, "So? Am I heavy?" "FAKER, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" He snickered at the other's reaction, "Relax, Shads! Just wanna have a little fun." He made himself comfortable on the other, watching him squirm and glare daggers at his emerald eyes, "Ya'know, I think I it like this better. Feels good to be on top." A low growl resounded in their small quarters, "I want you OFF of me _now_. I don't care if you freeze to death." "Aw, c'mon. It's just like before! Just don't think about it." Blue rested his head against the black shoulder, near the white patch of fur. He would have _loved_ to flop his face down on the thick fur, but knew if he went too far he would be left in the cold by himself.

The black hedgehog continued to growl at the other in defeat. He hated the way his entire body warmed at the close contact, and not just because they were both cold. The blue hedgehog nuzzled against his shoulder and moved his face towards the hidden black neck. _Is he_ smelling _me?!_ Indeed, he was. The blue hedgehog had always loved the black hedgehog's scent, and it was so much stronger where his nose was pressed against now. He felt the other shiver as he pressed his lips against the thin skin. Shadow's mind was akin to a beehive. Confusion and anger mixed with curiosity and yearning. What was the other doing? Why was he doing it?

His mind faltered as felt those soft lips place gentle kisses, a warm tongue coming out every so often to lick the fur. A grunt, "F-faker, what-" Great. Now his own voice seemed to betray him. "Shhhh," the other shushed him softly with a hand slowly dragged up his side. His breathing hitched for a split second, he hated this, "S-stop." No response, just more kisses and touches. "STOP!" He pushed the offender away from him a little, which only made said hedgehog sit up slightly in response. He could not sit up fully without hitting the bottom of the tree. He gave a confused look, "What?"

"'WHAT?!' IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!" Azure blinked. The sun was down, but they could just barely see each other. The black hedgehog's hands curled into fists, "You were feeling me up! You don't find that at all inappropriate?!" Sonic listened to his raves for a while. Finally, he had heard enough and pushed himself forward, effectively locking lips with the other. Black lids flew open, warmth rushing to his face. Did the faker actually _care_ for him? Was that why he had been concerned about his absence? About his wound?

Millions of questions ran through his head until the other moved away. Peach smiled softly, "Wow. I always cared for ya, Shads, but that just made me realize how much." Rubies could only blink in confusion as the other continued, "Ever since we met. The minute I laid eyes on you I felt...different. The more we saw each other, the more my feelings grew. When we fought the Final Hazard together I felt connected ta you. I finally knew how you felt and what ya wanted, and when ya fell to the Earth...I thought I'd lost ya forever. I didn't want to continue fighting without you by my side. But then you came back, and my heart jumped for joy. I was just so happy you were alive again, and so upset ya didn't remember anything. I know you've been through the wringer in life. Everything that hurt you hurt me too. I wanted to take that pain away from you, but I didn't know how. I knew you would never feel the same about me, so I've hidden how I feel for years. But being here, with you...even if you reject me...I'm just happy we're together."

The other couldn't speak, and he didn't have to, the hero pressed their lips together again. He dragged another hand down Shadow's side, halting and massaging his hip. Said hedgehog broke their lip lock, "A-Ah! Faker, stop!" "Relax. I've been waiting a long time for this. I don't wanna force ya, Shads, but I don't wanna stop either." Before the black hands could push him away, they were forced above his head and held there by a single hand. He struggled to free them, cursing his stupidity of leaving his inhibitor rings to dry outside. He knew without the power-restriction his energy would be able to move freely and warm the both of them up faster. He now wished he'd let the other freeze to death by the river. Without his rings, and with the energy slowly leaking out of him, his strength was reduced dramatically.

"Let me go! I do not want to partake in whatever you have in mind!" The blue hedgehog moved back to the hidden neck, "Please don't fight Shadow. I don't want ya ta be upset with me. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do." The kisses began again, along with loving nips. The peach hand finally touched the thick white fur they had longed to since the two hedgehogs met. It was not disappointed. The hedgehog below him let out a nearly silent gasp as his breathing started to become faster, "No...I don't want...stop..." The invading hands moved southward, despite the desperate pleas. Once they passed where the navel would be, had the black hedgehog been connected to a mother, the black legs started to buck and struggle, until they were ultimately held down by the blue ones.

One hand slowly moved lower while the fawn lips connected with the tan ones to muffle any curses. He tried to coax the other to open his mouth, but only when the hand passed by the black sheathe did he take advantage of the other's gasp, and plunged his tongue inside. The hand rubbed gently but with pressure, making the fur ruffle there. The black body tried to arch away, while its owner grunted into the kiss, trying to keep his own tongue away from the invader, but to little success. He felt an immense amount of heat rise in his body as it disobeyed his orders. His hands struggled at their restraint. The hand moved away along with the soft lips and invading pink organ. He was left to pant, eyes half lidded, as his body's sudden wants and needs started to cloud his mind. Azure ground their hips together, earning yelp, "P-please! Sonic, I'm begging you! Don't do this!" A blink. _I think that was the first time he's actually called be by name. At least without a sigh or groan followin' it._

"You're very stubborn. Is this your first time?" A simple blink, along with a heated blush. "It is, isn't it?" A growl started in the black throat again, "This _isn't_ my first time because this _isn't_ going to happen! Now get off of me!" A smirk, "You say that, but your attempts ta get away are growin' less frequent, not ta mention there's not as much force behind 'em." Shock seemed to write itself on the other's face. Had he really stopped trying as hard to get away? Did he actually _want_ this? Rubies glanced away, "Sonic, please. There's things you don't know about me that you wouldn't like." A peach hand cupped the tan face, making the other look at him, "And how do ya know I wouldn't?" An overly-sharpened canine made an appearance, "You just wouldn't, ok?!" He sighed and looked towards the hand on his face, "Look...what you said...it means a lot, but...you don't deserve someone like me. We hardly know each other and you wouldn't...want someone as flawed as me if you know what you were getting into." A pause.

Azure pressed his lips against the others. Crimson eyes widened before the other moved away, "Shadow, I know what I'm doing. I know more about ya than ya think, but I want to get to know you even more. I want to know what keeps ya up at night and what ya do when you're alone. I want to know everything about you. I'll help you with your insecurities if you'll help me with mine." The other's eyes glistened in the darkness surrounding them, "Why do you want me? Of all the people on this planet, why me?!" Emerald eyes softened as they neared the other, "Because I love you, Shads."

The kiss lasted longer this time, the black lids sliding to a close as his body laid limp below the blue hedgehog. Black hands were released in favor of rubbing thumbs past hidden nipples, massaging them, making their owner stifle a moan as their hips rubbed together again. The wandering hands resumed their journey southward, feeling several scars that their owner decided he would investigate at a later date. Resting on the lithe hips again, the thumbs moved in circles, slowly getting closer to the center. The stripped hands grabbed the other's, trembling slightly, "Wait! I-I...you were correct in assuming I'm a virgin. But I'm not certain I want to do this..." Sonic smiled, "It's ok. This is technically my first time, too, but I want it ta be with you. We can discover more about each other this way and grow closer." Seeing the other was still uncertain, he kissed a black ear, "I won't hurt you like so many others have, Shadow. I'll make sure you enjoy this and never forget it."

Another harsh rubbing began between their legs, making them both gasp, feeling each other begin to rise. Harsh pants sounded from both the hedgehogs, black hands reaching above him to dig his claws into something, anything. Their organs grew to their peak from the stimulation. A peach hand reached between the two of them and grasped each other together, before rubbing harshly. The dark one let out a small cry at the intensity.

Azure paused, a confused look forming on his face as he moved away slightly from the other and looked at his own nether region, leaving the other to pant. The blue and peach fur was wet, lower than where he had been stimulating Shadow, "What the?!" The black hedgehog noticed his confusion and immediately sat up, as much as he could, to try and stop the other from what he was about to do. Peach hands grabbed the black legs and separated them. "N-no, don't!"

Shock was an understatement. The blue hedgehog's face was unreadable, "You...you're part...girl?!" Not knowing what to do, the black hedgehog used a leg to kick the other to the side, landing a foot away. The hero grunted at impact and simply starred at the other as he turned his back to him, curling up defensively. Silence reigned. Azure finally tried to break it, "Shadow-" "This is what I was talking about, Sonic. I knew you wouldn't accept this part of me. I don't!" A crack in his usually strong voice. The blue hedgehog simply starred at him, "H-how?" The hybrid tried to curl into a tighter defensive ball, "It's a defect, from my alien genes. The black arms are reptilian in nature and are known to be of both genders. I was born with it as well. Gerald told me it was a useless organ as I was born without a womb, but it just serves as a reminder of my imperfections...I don't...blame you for reconsidering your previous statements..."

Sonic sat up, shocked at the other, "Shadow, this doesn't change the way I feel about you!" Said hedgehog looked behind him slightly. A peach hand was placed on the black hedgehog, "This is what _I_ was talkin' about. I wanna get ta know you, everything about you. This...is part of your body, strange as it is, an' I wanna learn even more about you." The shade glanced around, "It...it doesn't bother you?" The blue quills shook as their owner shook his head, "It just shocked me a lil', that's all...does it...ya'know, work?" Ebony turned away, with a glare, "...I-it's fully functional except the fact I have no uterus..." A grin, "Great! That's good news..." the hand dragged downwards, "this makes things a lil' more...interesting..." The hand was swatted away, "Don't think you can just feel me up and do whatever you want with me!" A smirk, "You didn't seem to mind a minute ago!"

Without giving the other a chance to answer, he uncurled the black hedgehog and rolled him back onto his back, practically pouncing on top of him, eliciting a slight growl from the one below. Both of their members had started to soften, and Sonic moved to rectify that by grounding their hips together again. The growl from the one below instantly died, a small almost inaudible, whine replacing it. The action was repeated and moved into a rhythm, making the both of them pant, and their organs rise once again to full length. Emerald eyes watched rubies, speaking between pants, "Heh...you're getting wet again..." A glare. Unfortunately, the other continued, "That just makes things easier for me...I won't have to worry about prepping you too much."

The red eyes widened in realization, why did _he_ have to be the one to be taken? Their roles would make more sense to be switched around in his head based on personalities. Acting on his thoughts, he quickly flipped the both of them over, straddling the other as best he could with the low ceiling, "You mean I prep _you_." The peach face curled into a dangerous smile, "Really now? I like your spunk, Shads. But since this's our first time, an' I obviously know more than ya, I should be the one on top." The alien hybrid almost pouted, "If it's both of ours first times, then how do you know I know less than you?" A shrug, "Research? You kinda learn about it growin' up." Emerald eyes glanced at the obsidian ribcage, bringing a hand up to the bandage where blood had started to flow once again. A slight wince was the reaction to the probing hand. Peach smiled more genuinely, "You're still hurt because of me; lemme make it up to you. Plus, you're makin' my stomach wet." A dark blush rose on the tan face. He didn't fight the other pushing him down again while muttering, "You just lay back an' relax. Don't rip your wound more. I'll take care of everythin.'"

Blue crawled back on top, immediately placing kisses on the black ribcage and moving lower. The soft lips kissed all too close to the throbbing heat, causing the creation to hold back a gasp, but failing in preventing his hips from thrusting forward. _This heat is overwhelming. I can't think straight anymore. Just make it stop!_ Crimson striped hands grabbed the roots above his head, holding on for dear life in an attempt to clear his head. Emerald pools lazily opened to stare at the other, "I'm gonna touch you, Shadow, but I'm not going to hurt you." A peach hand wrapped around the imposing organ, while its owner watched hesitantly. A soft kiss on the tip along with slight movement from the hand made his breathing hitch.

A pink tongue flicked out experimentally, licking a few times, before taking an inch inside the warm cavern. The gasp was out before it could be stopped, the ebony back arching as the pants increased. A shaking hand reached out to the azure head, at first simply grabbing at it, then petting softly. The mouth was removed, causing a whimper as the hand tried to push it back. "Relax. I'm not going to leave ya hangin', but it's time for somethin' else now." The black hand returned to its previous position in preparation, "I...I'm not..." A small smile, "It's alright, I know you're nervous. I'll go slow."

The black legs were separated, causing them to tremble from uncertainty. He looked away in embarrassment and annoyance as the other simply starred for what felt like forever. Finally, a hand moved in, gently feeling up and down, causing a shiver. The folds were separated, finding a small nub that made the black hedgehog arch with a surprised gasp.

The blue hedgehog wondered how he'd never noticed this organ before, most likely because it was normally hidden by the black fur and wasn't usually as swollen as it was now. The searching hands found the small opening, rubbing gently before inserting a finger, finding it slid in easily with the help of the natural lubricant. The black eyebrows furrowed at the strange feeling, while the sharp canines bit the inside lip. The green eyes watched the other carefully as he moved his finger around, stretching untouched insides. After thrusting it in and out, a second was added, causing ebony to bite into his hand in an attempt to keep quiet from the alien feelings. He panted heavily through his nose, feelings of pleasure running through his body, before the fingers were taken out.

Azure moved to face the hybrid's face once again, aligning their organs. "I'm goin' inside, Shads, hold onto me." Shaking hands grabbed onto the other's arms, too embarrassed to hold onto any other part of him. His own pride refused to let him wrap his arms around the other. His teeth clenched in anxiety as he felt warmth prod at his secret intimate area, realizing within a few minutes he would no longer be a virgin. Pressure was the only thing to be felt at first, followed by an uncomfortable stretching sensation. His eyebrows furrowed in pain, trying to ignore it. The immense arousal in his body was numbing him somewhat, but he wasn't used to feeling anything there before and was surprised at how sensitive he was.

Sonic's first thoughts were that the other was simply too tight. How could ever fit into this tiny opening? Without trying to hurt the other he applied more pressure, finally slipping the tip inside, earning a small grunt from the one below him, eyes tightly clenched. Blue figured it would be easier to adjust to the whole of him at once than small pieces over a long period of time, and continued to move deeper. He felt claws dig into his arms the deeper he went, until he finally was fully seated inside, the other's member resting against his stomach.

Shadow felt the other pause, grateful for the respite, finally opening his eyes again. They panted heavily, resting foreheads against each other. _I feel so full, as if I was stuffed._ Emerald eyes locked with his, "Not so bad, huh?" He tried to give a glare, this was only beginning! How could he say something like that so early? His body felt limp and tired, but the heat engulfing it was too strong. Soon enough, he felt the other begin to move, slowly at first. Experimenting, the blue hips withdrew a ways, before moving back inside. The friction immediately sending spikes up their spines. The action was repeated, with a bit more force, forcing slight moan from the black hedgehog. It only infuriated him further that he had to struggle to hold back the sounds that came from his mouth, but at the moment his mind was too fogged to care too much. Grunts and groans came from the one above him, as the pace quickened, wet sounds resounding in the small space.

The friction on ebony's member was not helping things. It made his body go haywire. His eyes closed as he tried to calm himself, but with the movement below pleasing him greatly, he could not seem to focus enough. He could feel his walls enclosed around the member inside, it felt too tight, but too good to stop.

The hero let out small moans as he thrusted, feeling every inch inside the other. He lowered himself to lie on the black chest. He could feel it heaving beneath him as the black head drew back with shaky moan. His face laid in the chest fur he loved, nuzzling it as he felt his peak approaching all too fast. Knowing the other couldn't be far behind by the strained expression and tightening muscles below him. He reached maximum speed, rocking the body beneath him as black legs tightened around his waist with a gasp.

Obsidian hands grabbed onto shoulders, feeling his entire body tense as the other seemed to swell inside him. _W-what's happening? This intense feeling of pressure is driving me mad!_ His pants grew as his back arched. He felt blue panting just as hard on top of him. Finally he felt the pressure lift, as if something had released inside him, an intense feeling of euphoria washed over him, making his entire body shudder with a small cry. He felt his member release an immense amount of fluid between the two of them, but in that moment he could have cared less what it was.

The sudden feeling of being filled even more, beyond capability, was made known to him. The other must have had a similar experience, now panting and thrusting sporadically a last few times before stilling. The ebony body felt completely drained of energy. This little activity was not a smart one to perform without his inhibitor rings, he could feel himself releasing a tremendous amount of power, leaving him utterly drained in its wake. The intruder was finally removed, forcing a whine out of the black hedgehog, as blue flopped beside him.

Ebony arms laid near their owner's head, legs sprawled slightly. The body felt too heavy to move, chest too heavy to breathe, eyelids too heavy to remain open. The hero seemed in better condition than the other, his breath returning to him, pants slowing down. He laid on his side next to the other, finally able to form words, "Well...that sure warmed me up...whattabout you, Shads?" When no answer came blue lids opened to gaze at the other, "Hey, Shadow, didja hear me?" But it was no use. The other was completely unresponsive, he hadn't moved since their activity ended, and for a moment Sonic wondered if he was even breathing. When he finally saw the white fluff rising and falling slowly he let his worry settle. The other must have fallen asleep. Soon realizing he felt he was about to do the same, he snuggled closer to the hybrid. Before letting himself do so however, he decided to clean his and the other's fur. Their activity had left them both quite messy, and he assumed the other would not appreciate his fur matted in the morning. Although the task was a bit difficult, being able to drag his tongue up the other's stomach and chest without the other pulling away or giving him a harsh retort made it worth the effort. He planted a soft kiss on the tan muzzle before resting beside him once again, letting himself drift to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4:**

A dreamless sleep seemed more exhausting than anything he could have done. The black hedgehog awoke himself with a massive gasp, as if he hadn't breathed the entire night. Panting heavily, he glanced around himself in a panic. What was happening? Why was he so weak? He could barely breathe at all. Forcing his lungs to keep moving, he tried to gather his senses. Realizing where he was, his panic started to settle, he was safe. He was in a tree, not on a laboratory table. However, his breathing still had yet to return to normal.

Forcefully turning himself onto his stomach, he clawed his way to the entrance of the tree. Laying on his stomach was slightly easier to breathe, but still hard enough to be concerned. Feeling branches and rocks cutting into his elbows and hands, he pulled himself through the small tunnel until he emerged from the tree, feeling the bandage around his chest slipping as he tossed the branch he'd placed there the night before aside. His legs behind him could only move slightly, proving it hard to drag himself towards where his inhibitor rings lay. Several loud gasps from his body continued to be heard until he finally reached his saviors laying on his hover shoes. He immediately snatched them, and with shaking hands put them back in their place, hearing the click in confirmation. Rolling onto his back again, his breathing slowly started to move from an asthmatic gasping to heavy pant. As his body started to regain the energy it had lost, rubies glanced above, staring at the sky between the swaying tree branches.

He listened to the birds singing around him, feeling the breeze brush against his fur. His breathing now a light pant, he brought his hands into his view, starring at the gold bracelets. _I haven't had an attack like that in a while. Going so long without my inhibitor rings...coupled with what happened last night...wasn't the best plan. Still, my anxiety hasn't bothered me in a quite some time. I feel drained of power more than usual, as if something's been taking it from me. I'm just thankful the Faker didn't witness that._ Rubies widened. The Faker. Where was he?

Lifting his head, he glanced inside the hollow hierarchy. He saw the distinct blue fur in its curled up, still sleeping form. A slight snore could be heard from within. He let a sigh pass his lips as he lay his head back. The memories from the night before began to drift into his mind, as well as confusion. Did this change things between the two of them? He forced himself to sit up, bringing a hand to his head as sudden wave of dizziness swept over him. Using a nearby tree for support, he pushed himself to his feet. Feeling his strength return to him also made him feel strange inside. Black arms wrapped around the ebony torso as he realized he could no longer call himself "untouched." Did he regret what happened last night? At the time he had simply wanted the torture in his body to stop and had agreed to Sonic's ministrations...but now...

Crimson pools widened in horror as black ears drooped slightly. A strange liquid like substance had started to slowly drip down his leg. The white substance looked familiar, he'd seen it last night on his own pelt, yet it was mysteriously gone now, except for said sticky liquid that he could _feel_ leaking out of him.

His face blushed in rage at the situation. To make matters worse, he could hear the blue hedgehog emerging from the tree behind him. Before he could do something about his problem, said Faker was already yawning and stretching in the open.

"There ya are, Shads! How'd ya sleep? It's a nice day out isn't..." He saw it. Of course he saw it. Compared to the ebony fur, it stuck out like a sore thumb. The hedgehog was faced away from him, arms still wrapped around his torso, shaking in agitation. Azure carefully approached the other, "Uh...Shads?" Said hybrid slowly turned his head to the other, anger clearly displayed on his face with a blush that matched his quills, "...You did this...to me...!"

The hero suddenly felt as if the day had heated up several degrees as he tried to calm the other down, "L-look, that's...ta be expected. Ya don't have ta be embarrassed." Black and red quills bristled as their owner whipped around, "'EMBARRASSED?!' YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT I AM?!" Hands raised quickly in defense, "O-Ok, and you're probably really mad! I guess I deserve that! I-I should've asked before cummin' inside, I just figured it was ok since...ya'know, it doesn't...work right?" Crimson accented hands curled into fists at the alien's side, "YOU JUST ASSUMED IT WAS OK?! WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME?!" The other's shouting was slowly making the blue hedgehog shrink in size, "I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT YA KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND WERE OK WITH IT!" Over sharpened canine teeth made an appearance at the accused, "THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?!" Azure blinked, "W-wait, you mean ya never..." Shadow stared at him, "No! I-I never...I didn't..." His speech faltered before falling off altogether. He really hadn't known what had been happening last night. His body had never felt those feelings before. Such things had never happened to him. Such thoughts had never entered his mind. Of course he knew the concept of procreation and had at one point during the night worried his rival would take him without consent, but he didn't know the intricate details surrounding the topic.

Peach hands lowered to fiddle with each other as emeralds glanced away, "I'm sorry I upset ya. I just wanted us ta have a good time. I wanted ta show ya how much ya mean to me..." He glanced at the crimson depths to gauge the other's reaction. He was simply stared at, as if the creation's mind was overflowing with thoughts and he didn't know which to address first. Hands drew up to the pounding head, claws digging into the quills and flesh in frustration, before giving a heavy sigh, "Sonic, I know we shared some...feelings last night and that we need to address those. But..." Green pools stared at him in earnest, as the other turned to replace his gloves and hover shoes in their proper places, before pausing, back turned to him, "I need some time to think."

Before the hero could say anything, the other was gone in a burst of wind. He stood in silence for a short time, trying to process what had happened. He was alone again, he had hoped things would change after the events of the night before, but once again he was left behind, abandoned. With a sigh he redressed himself with the little clothing he had. His gloves were still around the hybrid's chest, dirtied now and ripped to shreds, though he didn't know why. After the famous shoes had slipped back onto stocking feet, he felt the first drops of the storm rolling through. Low rumbles were heard in the distance as he took one last look at the ancient tree that would forever remain in his memories, before running back to the empty shell he called a home.

The rain cascaded down the building's face as a lone figure sat in silence. Somehow managing to scale a tower seemed like a feat to others, but was just a day in the life of the speedsters. Head down, letting the water drip from the tip of his nose, his thoughts ran a rampage inside a throbbing head. Crimson eyes starred at the drop off in front of him, in which one leg dangled over, the other supporting an arm. The free hand massaged his black temples. He had thought he had finally started to figure his life out, what he was meant to do and what his purpose was. After last night's events his mind was completely confused once again. Thunder crashed loudly above him as he lashed out in anger. His body was wet once again, and he could feel it start to stiffen in the cold temperatures. His decision was a quick one as he leapt from the ledge, hover shoes kicking in to soften his landing. Now on the street side, he turned in the direction of the someone he knew he could seek refuge with.

Large ears twitched at the knock on the front door. The bat let out a sigh as she made her way there, trying to fix her unruly hair and straighten her robe. _It's late. Why is anyone coming here at this hour?! Can't I enjoy one day without having to deal with people?_ Unlocking the door, she stopped in her tracks, "Shadow!" The melancholy hedgehog looked worse than she'd seen him in a long time. seeing him standing the storm, fur soaking wet, head down, and ears drooping made her immediately want to comfort her friend for whatever he was going through.

"Rouge," His voice was low and gravely, as if not caring how he appeared to her in that moment, "May I use your guest room to take shelter from the rain tonight?" Before he had even finished asking the question she was pulling him in the door, trying to find something to dry him off with and warm him up. "Good grief, Shadow T. Hedgehog, what were you doing out there?! You'll catch a cold!" Instead of pushing her away and insisting he was alright, the hybrid let her do as she wished, listening to her raves as she guided him to the bathroom. For once, he was happy she cared so much.

"You take your clothes off and get in here now, mister! Taking a hot shower will help you warm up faster." He listened to her, not worried about being 'naked' in front of her as most male mobians didn't wear clothes anyway, as she turned the water on and pulled a towel out. Something caught her eye, the ripped up fabric pieces that were being used as a bandage. Moving closer, she began to untie it, muttering something along the sorts of "And what's this? You've even gone and hurt yourself. As if being in the cold rain was bad enough." He let her do as she pleased, too mentally tired to try and put up a fight. When the filthy cloth was finally removed, tan hands ran delicately along the tear in the flesh. Turquoise eyes glanced up at his own, "You're lucky your healing powers have already kicked in. You should've gotten that stitched up. And where did you even find this?!" She held the fabric up to him in disgust. The rain had made it sopping wet, and the dirt from the night before had dirtied it. Instead of giving her an answer, he allowed his shoulders to simply shrug, not wanting to reveal any details from his past encounter.

She heaved a sigh, throwing the cloth away and feeling the temperature of the water. Ebony resumed removing his shoes and other articles of clothing. Normally, he showered with his rings on, as he hardly ever took them off, but after being in the filthy river water and sleeping on the dirt floor, he wanted to make sure he had rid of all dirt particles underneath them. With this in mind, he began to take them off, only to find without them he felt rather faint. He tried quickly to put them back only stumble and lean against the wall. He hoped Rouge hadn't noticed, but to his embarrassment, she had. Her head immediately whipped around at the sound of his unsteady footing and saw him hit the wall rather hard. She was by his side in an instant, "What happened?! Are you ok?!" Black hands quickly snapped his rings back into place, breathing a small sigh of relief at the strength they returned to him, "A-apologies. I'm alright." The other's face moved to a frown, "You don't have to play that game with me, you know that." A blink, "I...sorry."

They sat in silence for a while, until she moved away, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a worried stare. He always thought she looked more like a mother when she did that. The hybrid could feel her looking him and up and down as he straightened himself again. "You tried to take your inhibitor rings off. They've never had that effect on you before, have they? I've never seen you act like that." Quills shook slightly as he neared the shower, "I'm just regaining my strength. I'll be back to normal soon." The blue green eyes displayed worry for him, "...I wish you would talk to me more..." Ebony paused for a moment, before feeling the water temperature and stepping in. The tired bat gave him one last glance before turning her back and closing the door behind her.

The creation leaned against the shower wall, taking in the heat the cascading water provided to his body. The long tear in his flesh stung at first, but soon seemed to heal faster in the warmth. It was already looking significantly better than the day before. _Last night..._ Black hands gripped the tile in confusion. _That hedgehog...he made me...feel things I never thought were possible. The activities we participated in...the thought of it disgusts me...and yet..._ He was extremely grateful the rain had washed away any remaining evidence of the night before from his legs as he returned to the city. Had the inhabitant of the house he was in seen that...he'd have rather stayed outside in the storm. A hand traced its way to his lower abdomen. _He accepted me...every part of me...why did I allow him to do the things he did? Why did I tell him...my darkest secret? Why was I so open? Why didn't I stop him?! Why didn't I push him away and leave him in the cold?!_ Crimson eyes opened to look at the ceiling above him. _... why did he say the things he did?...Why was_ he _so open?_ Pain in his temples, followed by a light dizziness, disturbed his thoughts. Ebony eyes squinted in pain and frustration. He began to wash his concerns away, making sure to clean thoroughly under his rings without removing them.

Finally turning the water off, stripped hands reached out to the towel and began to dry his fur off. He carefully stepped out of the shower, hanging the damp towel up before simply grabbing his belongings, not bothering to redress. His body still felt tired from the lack of energy throughout the night.

The hedgehog walked down the hall, barely making a sound as he reached the guest room door, or as Rouge would prefer to call it, his room. Turning the knob, he took in the plain décor. A simply made bed with a small dresser across from it, along with a small night stand set up. The room itself hadn't had an occupant since the last time he had stayed, and even then he'd never used the bed. There should have been dust covering every inch of the room, instead it seemed Rouge frequently cleaned the room to make it look more lived in. Was Rouge lonely?

Fuzzy slippers trudged down the hallway quietly. A cup of warm milk in one hand as the other rubbed tired eyes that, for once, were free of makeup. The bat paused at the bathroom, and seeing it was empty, continued down the hallway to her room. Pushing open her bedroom door, her eyes caught the room across from her's, Shadow's room, as she liked to think of it. The door was slightly cracked open. _Strange. I always keep that room closed. Is Shadow in there? He hardly ever actually uses it._ She peaked in the doorway, moving the door quietly. There lay said hedgehog, fast asleep on the bed. It looked as if he quite literally had flopped on the bed and hadn't cared to move. She'd never even seen him sleep before, let alone in his own bed. _That idiot. He knows I keep it cold in this house. If he doesn't use a blanket he'll freeze all night._ Making her way to her room quickly, she put the glass of milk down and grabbed one of her spare feather blankets, returning to the room across the hallway. Without trying to wake the other up, she carefully tucked the tired creature in, a bit surprise he hadn't heard or felt her and woken up to shoo her away. However, he had seemed rather out of it tonight. Perhaps he needed a good sleep and would be back to normal in the morning. His quills and fur were still slightly damp and his body felt cooler to the touch than normal, for Shadow, proving her point he needed to warm up his body, no matter how much he denied it.

The agent made her way back to the hallway, giving one last glance at the sleeping form who had decided to curl up slightly in the soft blanket. A smile pulled at her lips. _It's nice to see him feeling at home here. I wish he felt like he could use it more often._ The bat retired to her room for the night, wishing pleasant dreams on the sleeping creation.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5:**

Heeled shoes clicked along the tile as the female agent made her way down the hall. GUN was notorious for making long hallways as if trying to get people lost easily. That coupled with everything being the Same. Exact. Color. Made things rather confusing as to where you happened to appear. Thankfully, the spy had been in the agency for quite a few years now and knew her way around, for the most part. Making a few turns and passing a few of the grunts in the hallway, who she could have sworn eyed her up as they walked by, she finally reached her destination; Shadow's office. Yes, Team Dark went on dangerous missions for GUN and practically risked their lives at times, but the majority of days were spent here, doing paperwork. Or so they were supposed to. The black hedgehog hated the thought and usually required quite some persuasiveness to actually work, while the bat made the appearance she worked, though those close to her knew she slacked off just as much as the other. They both would have been fired by now if not for their combative skills and usefulness in battle.

Turning the handle, she shuffled the papers around in her hands a bit, "Hey, Shadow. I have another report for you from..." She cut herself off, was he...sleeping? He must have heard the door open. The streaked quills lifted from the desk, a paper stuck to his forehead as he looked around in a confused daze. Rouge let out a heavy sigh as she closed the door quickly behind her, "Again?! Shadow this isn't normal. I never thought you even slept before and now I'm catching you dozing off everywhere! Don't try and pretend you didn't doze off during the Commander's speech yesterday, I saw your eyes close for longer than a blink several times." Said hedgehog removed the paper, letting out a groan in frustration, "I'm fine, Rouge. Just a little low on energy." Her hands crossed, "Uh huh. You said you'd be better _several_ times. You've been like this since you came to my house soaking wet in the middle of the night a month ago. Well guess what, you're getting worse, not better. What're you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything, Rouge, I'm _fine_ ," Shadow moved to stand from behind his desk, pushing past her and heading out the door with the bat on his heels. He made his way to the lounge, which was thankfully empty, grabbing a styrofoam cup to get yet another shot of coffee. He'd lost count of how many he'd had today alone. "You most certainly are _not_ fine! It's not just your energy levels, you've been having stomach cramps as well!" The bat turned and took a couple steps away as the other began to fill up his cup. "I know you're too stubborn to go somewhere and get looked at, but if this continues I'm going to the Commander. We can't have you going on missions in this kind of condition, you'd be more of a liability then an asset right now. Omega would agree with me...Shadow? Are you listening to me?" She turned, seeing the other's eyes closed, head leaning forward slightly, still filling up his cup. "Shadow!" Said hedgehog jumped, eyes shooting open in surprise just as the coffee began to overflow, the heat burning his hand, making him drop the cup. He uttered a curse as the black liquid spilled on the floor, part of it soaking his pelt. The burn was sensitive at the moment, but the pain would fade soon. He shook his hand slightly, drying it and making the cold air soothe it. The damp fur on his torso burned as well, and was not helping the constant dull ache he felt in his lower abdomen.

The bat let out a groan, grabbing napkins and wiping his belly fur dry, "You see? You're in no condition to work, let alone fight!" A gloved hand pushed her away in annoyance, "I'm _fine._ " The word ended in a growl as he started to clean up the mess. However, bending in half seemed to not agree with his stomach, feeling it flip and cramp he dropped into a crouch, ears drooping a little, teeth bared slightly as his eyes squinted shut. The other dropped next to him, rubbing his back in comfort, glad no one else was here to see her friend in pain, they might have left in a similar situation. She softened her voice, ears drooping slightly, "Shadow, please. I'm not trying to make you upset, I'm just worried." Crimson eyes opened slightly, face relaxing as the pain abated, "I know. I appreciate your concern, but-" "HELLO GUN AGENTS!"

 _Oh no._ This was the last thing Shadow needed right now; a visit from the blue hedgehog. He hadn't seen him in a month, on purpose. He was still trying to figure what had happened that night, and then these deliberating symptoms started to affect him in ways he hated to admit. And now the very person of his torment was here.

The two mobians whipped their heads around in time to see the world famous hero practically skip through the doorway, the usual grin on his face, "Hey, you two havin' a party on the floor?" The bat opened her mouth to speak, but the other quickly answered, turning away from the intruder, "I just dropped some coffee, Rouge was helping clean up." The agent looked at the other in question, noticing his frantic hands wipe up the spilled liquid as fast as would allow. Peach hands crossed behind the blue quills, as their owner made a disgusted face, "Coffee? That nasty stuff? Why'd ya wanna drink _that_?" Canines made an appearance as black lids hid the crimson pools, "Because unlike you, _some_ of us have to _work_ for a living and we have to be _awake_ for it."

The bat sensed some tension between the two, or at least coming from the antihero beside her, who still refused to turn towards the other. The two had always had a rivalry of sorts, but the half alien seemed a bit more on edge now that the other was here. Once the spilled liquid had been cleaned up, the black hedgehog stood, making sure to at least _look_ steady on his feet, "Now if you will excuse me, I must get back to it." He made his way to the door, purposefully hiding his face as much as he could as he passed by the blue hedgehog. He knew his current state made him look rather flustered and wanted to avoid a conversation.

The hero blinked in surprise, reaching out a hand, "H-hey! Wait a minute!" He managed to catch the other's arm, "We haven't seen each other in a long time! Is 'at any way ta greet me?" He was half joking, but did want to talk to the other. It had been a whole month. He had _missed_ him. The least the other could do was let him speak.

The gloved hand was shaken off as the antihero continued to leave, not uttering a word. Azure reached for him once again, "H-hey! Look I jus' wanna talk!" He managed to grab the other's shoulder, effectively spinning him around to face the other. The famous shoes stopped in their tracks, "...wow...you look... _terrible_." Perhaps that wasn't right choice of words. Crimson eyes stared daggers at him, the whites of his eyes almost as dark as the iris, as if he hadn't slept in days. The streaked quills, which were usually well groomed, were sticking out in random places, not to mention the sheen of wet fur where coffee had spilled. Shadow looked like a mess, and he knew it.

The forgotten third wheel made her way over to the pair to break the tension, "He's not been feeling well. I'd prefer if you didn't stress him out any more than need be." The words were laced with a poison that made a slight shiver run up the hero's spine as she stood behind him. Jumping out of the way with an embarrassed grin, a gloved hand scratched behind an ear, "Rouge! Long time no see, heh. I wasn't interruptin' anythin', was I?"

Considering the way the black hedgehog had reacted, Rouge assumed he wanted his private life affairs to remain in secret. She decided to play along with the other as much as would allow, "No. Just as Shadow said. Cleaning up some spilled coffee. Why are you here?" Peach shoulders allowed a bit of a shrug, "Well I tried lookin' for ya, Shads, but I jus' decided ta come here instead." Truth be told, the alien being had told him he had sometimes stayed with Rouge, but he was hoping to catch the other alone. Those hopes were now shrinking as the bat seemed to be resistant to leave the two of them.

Ebony moved to leave once again, "I don't want to talk. Just leave me be." The other seemed to be rather insistent, "Shads!" Before anyone could say anything else, the sound system above them began to make an announcement, "Shadow the Hedgehog, please report to the Commander's office. Shadow the Hedgehog, to the Commander's office." Messages were always repeated for clarity.

Said hedgehog was tempted to sigh in relief as he began to make his way there, thankful for an excuse to leave the awkward situation. He didn't know what the other wanted, but he needed some more time to himself before he could face that. Thankfully the two stayed where he'd left them. Seeing the door to his destination in sight, he quickened his pace to ensure the other two hadn't followed. He tried to make his quills a bit more acceptable looking as he twisted the door knob, "You wanted to see me, Comm-" He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Two armed soldiers awaited his arrival along with the Commander and the Lab's Scientist. _No. Not now!_

"Why did you have to show up now of all times?" The bat's shoe tapped against the tile, arms crossed, "He doesn't need any extra stress in his life right now and you _know_ how annoyed you make him." The blue hedgehog was already walking out the door after the antihero, "C'mon, Rouge, I didn't know he wasn't feelin' well! I jus' wanted ta talk with 'im." Said mobian sighed and followed, "Maybe not, but can't this wait? I'm having a hard enough time as it is trying to convince him to stay another night to rest." Sneakers stopped at an intersection, unsure which way to go. Thankfully the bat decided to help him out a bit, nodding in the direction to the Commander's office. He did seem urgent, maybe a quick conversation wouldn't hurt. "I'm sorry, but it's really important. I haven't seen 'im in too long," the other went down the hallway, his walk so fast the bat had to almost jog to keep up, "I've never seen you this worked up about something before, especially to do with Shadow. Is everything alright?" The hero paused, making her almost run into the sharp quills.

He turned, emerald eyes shining brightly, "I-" He didn't get to answer, before he knew it he was practically plowed over by a black streak, the two of them entangling before landing on the floor. The agent was able to move out of the way just in time, starring in shock at the two hedgehogs in front of her. The antihero they were looking for quickly sat up, starring in the direction he'd come, an uncharacteristic look of fear over his face. The black ear flicked at a groan coming from below him. The blue hedgehog he had used as a landing place twisted underneath him, forcing the two apart. A gloved hand rubbed the blue forehead in pain, "Shadow? What the heck was that for?!"

Before the accused could answer, a pair of soldiers, along with the Commander and a rather scary looking Scientist in a white coat came from around the corner. When they spotted the black hedgehog, the immediately began to pursue in haste. Said mobian quickly began to scramble away as fast as he could, though his limbs were shaking a bit too much to allow a swift retreat. The bat let out a half sigh half groan, "This again?!" The blue hedgehog looked up at her, standing slowly, "What?! What again?!" The Commander began to shout as they neared, "Sonic! Restrain Shadow!" "No!" The alien being was crawling away as fast as he could, trying desperately to stand. "What? Why?!" Sonic was far too confused to understand anything that was happening. The bat flew into action, practically tackling the creation to the ground, who proceeded to squirm and thrash about wildly, "Sonic! Help me!"

Trusting there was a reasonable explanation to this madness, the hero helped the agent move the thrashing hedgehog to a stand, carefully avoiding the quills that were pointed in all directions, "Care ta tell me what's happening?!" Rouge was almost ashamed a non-GUN agent had to witness this stupidity, "It's something new the Commander brought up. He wanted to continue Gerald Robotnik's research on Shadow to try and find a cure-all. Anyway, every few months they come to take a blood sample from him." Sonic simply stared at her, trying to get a better grip, "...That's it? He's not runnin' for his life or something?" The bat scoffed, "He _thinks_ he is. He's deathly afraid of needles. I guess all the experimenting on him they used to do kind of left a few scars."

The pursuing agents finally reached the three, quickly getting the necessary gear prepared. The man with two colored eyes thanked the blue hedgehog, "Thank you, Sonic. We'll discuss why you're here at another time." Said hedgehog let out a nervous smile, knowing he wasn't supposed to be at GUN's headquarters without permission, but had sneaked in when the guards were away. The agent beside him was having a bit of trouble not getting poked by the dangerous quills lashing out. "Rouge, you can let go, I got 'im," the hero assured her. The bat nodded her thanks. Wrapping an arm around the hedgehog's neck area and lower stomach, he attempted to hold the other as still as he could, however he had to dodge an attempted head butt, and with how much the metal shoes were kicking his legs, he knew he'd have quite a few bruises after this encounter, as well as scratches from where Shadow's claws were starting to tear through his gloves.

The Scientist pulled out a long needle along with several vials for collecting blood. The pure sight made the black hedgehog shake in fear, "No! Please, don't!" He hated this. As much as the Ultimate Lifeform would have liked to say he had no fears, that was a lie. The trauma he had been put through more than fifty years ago haunted his mind on a regular basis. The gene splitting, the blood pouring, seeing if limbs would grow back, if organs could be removed, if diseases would cause death; something such as that could not easily be forgotten. His humiliation was all the worse that his rival had to witness this, let alone be the one to hold him down. He silently wished he'd fall asleep and never wake up.

Once the Scientist had finished prepping, the two armed soldiers moved to assist Sonic, one attempting to hold the thrashing limbs, while the other attempted to seize and hold an arm out to the Scientist for easy access. Rouge assisted the soldier in holding the arm still so that the needle wouldn't bend, like several previous ones had. She could've yelled at her partner for acting like a baby, but seeing him in fear was something she was not used to and didn't like to witness when the lab needed more blood. She respected Shadow enough not to call him out on this, he would do the same for her, "Just try to relax, Shadow, it'll be over soon."

The blue hedgehog found it almost amusing that such an egotistical and prideful hedgehog could possibly be afraid of something so small, "Yea, Shads, it won't hurt a bit!" As the Scientist began to feel for a vein, needle in hand, the trapped hedgehog made one last ditch effort to escape, thrashing about violently, causing a hand to hold his forehead still to protect the hero behind him. He considered biting the opposing hand. His squirming caused the peach arms to tighten around him, pressing against the place that been causing him pain the past few days. He let out a small groan of discomfort, unfortunately it went unheard as the needle pushed into his arm, causing a hiss of pain.

Seeing the considerably dark red liquid emerge into the container was no comfort, especially when a full one was replaced with an empty one to fill up as well. The thrashing gradually slowed down, black lids remained squinted to block out the sight. The strong hold remained in case he started to move once again. As the last vial was brought to be filled, the black hedgehog almost whimpered, "Please...stop...no more..." The arm trembled as the last vial filled. A total of 10 vials was taken away to the lab, the Scientist finally pulling the needle out of the streaked arm.

The agents released the hedgehog, his limbs drooping lifelessly as the blue hedgehog held on for just a moment longer, "See? That wasn't so bad. Jus' a lil' blood donation, plus it's for a good cause!" A pained expression remained on the half breed's face, "S-Sonic...you're...hurting..." The other smirked, "Aw c'mon, it's called a 'hug.' And they don't hurt!" The black hedgehog let out a pained grunt, "No...stomach...hurts..." The bat pried the peach limbs off, "Let him go! You're hurting him!" Emerald eyes blinked in surprise, letting his prisoner go, who immediately dropped to his knees in front of him, arms holding his stomach. "Shadow!" Rouge kneeled beside him, "Talk to me! What's happening?" The other couldn't respond clearly, "...hurts..." The blue green eyes glared at the blue hedgehog who simply starred. He hadn't squeezed him ithat/i tightly, had he? That was something so small compared to their sparring matches, not to mention a death hug from Amy Rose. "What's going on?" The Commander and the agents were unsure how to react. Rouge looked up at him, large ears drooping slightly, "He hasn't been feeling well, I'm not sure what's wrong exactly."

Crimson eyes opened slightly. iWhat's happening? Why does the world feel so unsteady?/i His body swayed slightly as the bat tried to keep him upright. He could hear her call out to him, but her voice seemed warped and far away, his vision blurred with mixed sight of the humans and the blue hedgehog starring in confusion. The tiled floor connected with his side, forcing a breath of air out of his lungs. The bat's worried expression above him was the last thing he saw before his vision faded to black.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6:**

A wet washcloth was laid on the black forehead that was quickly becoming warmer, warmer than usual anyway. The bat sat next to the fainted creature for a second before getting up and walking back to the office desk where the Commander sat. The blue hedgehog sat in a chair across from the human, looking rather distraught, though he tried to remain calm. The Commander's office was nicer than the others, a larger room with a window that sat behind the mahogany desk. Two chairs that could belong in a living room, and a couch near the wall where a dormant black hedgehog lay. After he had lost consciousness, the blue hedgehog had carried him to the office they currently sat in while the Scientist returned to the lab. The Commander came with the bat and hedgehogs, making sure they behaved themselves until their comrade regained consciousness.

As the bat returned to her chair, the human continued their conversation, "You said Shadow wasn't feeling well? How long has that been going on?" The agent crossed a leg over the other, "About a month. He insists he's fine, but I know better." The hero's ears seemed to perk up slightly as the bat continued, "I tried to get him to do something about it, but he wouldn't listen to me. I'm a bit surprised he actually passed out though, I've never seen him do that before." Worry shown on her face as the man across from them sighed slightly, "Well, I asked the lab to do some blood work before continuing the research to see if we can find out what's wrong. If he is ill, then that could affect the research as well."

The man turned his attention to the hero, "As for you." The hero flashed a nervous grin. "Care to tell me why you decided to trespass onto GUN property?" The accused scratched behind his ear, "I, uh, needed ta talk ta Shadow. Found out he was working here full time now with Team Dark, so I decided to come find him. Guess I shoulda waited 'till he was done with work." The Commander seemed to roll his eyes slightly, "You did come in handy today. Just make sure it doesn't happen again." The hedgehog saluted with another grin, "Yessir!"

A soft groan sounded across the room as the black hedgehog shifted slightly. The bat was quick to return to his side, dabbing the sweat away from his head with the towel. After twisting slightly, the alien stilled once more. Peach hands twiddled helplessly. _Wish I could take 'im home. Nothin' I want more than ta take care of 'im right now, but I can't just steal 'im. Rouge'd kill me. Plus, I dunno if he's said anythin' bout us or not. Prolly hasn't even thought about that night. He made it pretty clear he didn't want me here._ The minutes seemed to tick by in slow motion as they waited for the blood test to return. It had already been a few hours since he'd first arrived, and the black hedgehog had hardly moved since he had collided with the floor.

Finally, a knock at the door was heard from the side door, followed by the Commander giving permission to enter. The lab's Scientist from before had returned along with a woman, also dressed up in typical lab attire. The human at the desk rose from his seat, "Ah, glad you could join us, Doctor. Have you discovered anything?" The Scientist gave a short nod, "We have." He seemed to glance nervously at the other two occupants in the room. Sensing he was not welcome to hear, the hero stood and joined Rouge at the other side of the room as the Commander and the two new entries seemed to form a tight circle and talk amongst themselves.

Sonic tapped his foot impatiently, a little miffed at not being able to hear what concerned the black hedgehog. He mumbled quietly to the bat, "Not like we're not his friends. I don't get why they gotta be so secretive over there." The bat's ear was turned behind her as she swatted at the other a little, "Shhhhh! If you stay quiet I might be able to hear what they're saying!" The hero quickly shut his mouth, lowering to where she knelt next to the black hedgehog. He waited, at least he tried. "What're they sayin'?" The agent mentally rolled her eyes, "...something about...high levels of hCG...the Commander asked if they were sure...they also found evidence of...PAPP-A." The blue eyebrows furrowed, "Wassat mean?" Turquoise eyes met his, "Do I look like a Doctor to you?!" The other pouted slightly, before standing up and walking back towards the group as Rouge silently cursed at him.

His presence was immediately noticed and the conversation stopped. The Leader turned to him, "Can I help you, Sonic?" Said hedgehog wore a look of determination, "What's wrong with Shadow?" The two humans glanced at their superior, as the bat stood beside the hero. The man shook his head slightly, "I'm sorry. This is very personal information, and I'm not at liberty to discuss it with you without Shadow's permission." Rouge stepped forward slightly, "Sir, as Shadow's teammate, I believe I have a right to know whether he can still be a member of Team Dark or if he needs to be taken care for the time being. I'm the closest thing to family Shadow has." The human put a hand to his head as if a bit exasperated, "While that may be the case, I still cannot disclose such information. It would be best for him to take some time off and rest. Can you bring him home?" The bat shook her head, "He doesn't have a home, he's been staying with me every now and then, but unless you give me a reason to keep him there he'll leave again. If he's as ill as it seems he should not be wandering the streets at night in the rain." The multicolored eyes flipped from Rouge to Sonic, as if considering her plight. Rouge took the hero by the arm, "I'll need his help too. I alone can't keep Shadow somewhere by myself, I'll need him to help me. Plus he's his friend." Sonic was grateful to be included, she must have noticed his worry when the other fainted, "I care about Shadow a lot, I'll make sure he gets the rest he needs."

The man sighed, "I suppose while Shadow is still unconscious I don't have much of a choice. Doctor, will you please explain?" The bat turned her attention to the woman. Her and Shadow were well known by the nurses and Doctors after their missions. Although Shadow for the most part resisted medical attention, Rouge had needed it several times. They had often conversed back and forth while her stay in the medical ward. Being told this news about her dear friend from someone she knew slightly more than her boss was well appreciated.

The Doctor stepped forward slightly, "We ran the blood test several times to confirm, but we know what's plaguing Agent Shadow." Rouge looked at her in worry, "Is he alright?! Is he sick?!" The woman smiled slightly to reassure her, "I know you care for him deeply, Agent Rouge. I assure you he's alright. He just needs to rest. I want you two to keep an eye on him for the next week. Keep him in bed if you can. The important thing is that he gets the rest and nutrition he needs." The bat's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "He's never slept that long before. I never even saw him sleep before a month ago. He hardly ever eats either." The hero crossed his hands behind his head, "He told me he doesn't need ta do much of either. His chaos energy makes it so he doesn't need ta eat or sleep like we do." The Doctor nodded, "That's true. Normally that would cover the essentials for his body. However, now he needs to be eating as well as resting regularly to keep his energy levels up. At least for the time being."

The blue hedgehog's furrowed his eyebrows as well, "Did somethin' happen to 'im? Why does he need ta do all this stuff now?" The woman seemed to hesitate for a second, "As I told the Commander, we found high levels of hCG in his blood, as well as evidence of PAPP-A." Sonic was growing a bit frustrated, "Yea, yea, we heard. But we ain't doctors, Doc. Wassat mean?" After getting confirmation from the Leader with a nod, the Doctor continued, "These particular chemicals are only found in pregnant women."

For several minutes the bat and hedgehog simply stared at the humans. It was as if time had stopped for a while. Finally, the blue legs could not continue to hold up their owner, and he wobbly moved backwards into a chair, "Th-That's not possible!" The Scientist shrugged, "I ran the blood multiple times to be sure it was not contaminated. Apparently, there's more to Project Shadow then we had originally thought. If we were able to properly examine Shadow, we might have been able to discover this sooner. Or the possibility of it." The blue hedgehog was starting to almost hyperventilate in panic, his mind running rapid, "B-but...he said...he told me that..." The bat simply stared in shock. _How is that possible?! I never thought that he could...I thought he was still a virgin! Who did he..._ Her short locks whipped in the air as she caught eyes with the hero, "...you...What did you do?!" The hedgehog looked as shocked as her, "W-What?! I-I..." The bat walked up towards him, pointing a finger at his chest, "It was you! A month ago when he showed up at my house drenched and acting strange...he had been with you!"

The humans looked on at the spectacle before the Commander spoke, "Sonic, is this true? Are you the father?" Said hedgehog began to sway slightly, looking a little faint. "Oh, no!" The bat grabbed the peach face, slapping his cheeks a bit, "You don't get to pass out too, you have too much to explain! Plus, I need you to carry Shadow!" The fear of making her even more mad than she already was snapped the blue hedgehog awake. The Commander ran a hand through his short gray hair, "Why don't you three head home. It'll give you some time to...work things out. The Doctor will be available if you need help; just call."

Taking his advice, the hero was able to steady himself enough to stand, and picked up the dormant alien hybrid. Rouge nodded, "Thank you, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can." "Wait." The Doctor stopped them, handing Rouge a set of papers, "Show Shadow these. It's his blood results on paper. From what little I know of him, he seems to be someone who'll need to have proof." The spy took the papers, looking them over. It was all Greek to her, all sorts of terms and names she had never heard of. But she took the Doctor's advice, storing the papers in her pocket, "Thank you." The bat led the pair out of the room and down the hallway. When the door closed, the Commander was able to let out a breath he'd been holding. This new revelation was going to make things involving Team Dark a bit more complicated from now on.

After long twists and turns in the long hallways, the three mobians finally made it to the outside world once again. Sonic's smile was a bit less enthusiastic as before, but still sincere, "Thanks Rouge. I'll take him home and make sure he gets some rest." The bat's face was stern, "No. You _both_ are coming with me. Shadow will be more comfortable if he wakes up in familiar surroundings, and you have a lot of explaining to do in the meantime." His ears flattened a bit. _Shadow was right. She is like a mother when she's mad._ The hero knew there was no way out of it and let out a little sigh, "Yes, Rouge."

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry it took so long everyone, I had a major's writer's block. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7:**

"Ok, so if I'm understanding you right, Shadow had told you that although he has girl parts, he has no uterus. So basically no way to get pregnant. Then you two did the deed and now he's somehow magically pregnant?" "Jeez, ya make it sound so casual when ya talk like that." Peach hands nervously fidgeted on the cup between them. The orange juice had hardly been touched since their talk began. He sat slouched over on the couch, ears drooped in embarrassment of sharing his intimate life. The bat sat in the chair across from him, a coffee in one hand. Her body language was more relaxed now, one leg over the other and the free hand supporting her head under the short locks. The hedgehog in question was sleeping peacefully in the guest room, scratch that, his room. There's no way the bat was going to let him leave now, even if she had to strap him onto the bed herself.

The bat shrugged her shoulders slightly, "I didn't expect you to stay a virgin forever, hun. Just didn't expect it to be with Shadow." The other flushed. _She could tell?!_ Green eyes flicked away slightly, "Heh, guess ya know why I always used ta avoid Amy now." Rouge sat up slightly, "Speaking of, have you told her? She's not going to take it well." "Nah, ta be honest, she stopped chasin' me a while ago. Think she got sick of tryin'. Maybe she's found someone else, who knows?" The girl hummed, sitting back again, "Well that takes care of one problem. But we still have to figure out what we're going to do with sleeping beauty in there." "...About that...Rouge, would ya mind if stayed here?" Eyebrows raised in surprise. "I'm responsible for this n' I wanna make it right. I wanna take care of Shadow. I-I can sleep on the couch! You won't even know I'm here!"

The spy thought it over for a bit, seeing the worried, desperate look on the other's face. She closed her eyes, "mmm, alright. It would be easier to take care of him with you around. Plus you could watch him while I'm at work." The hero smiled, "Thank you, Rouge! I promise I'll look after him." She held up a finger, "BUT. You have to swear that you'll follow my rules, clean up after yourself, and DON'T aggravate Shadow. He'll be under enough stress as it is. Not to mention finding out he has to live with you now too." "Deal." Silence reigned once again.

"...How are we gonna tell him?" A sigh, "...I don't know. He's not gonna take it well. We'll have to take it slow and try not to freak him out." The bat stood, "I'm going to make something for dinner." _I can't stand just sitting around and waiting._ Blue nodded, "Alright. I'm gonna sit with him." "Call me if he wakes up."

The hedgehog trudged down the hallway, reaching the room at the end of the hallway. The door was slightly open, and he pushed it quietly so as not to wake the other. Seeing the peaceful look on his sleeping face calmed him slightly. _Everything's gonna be ok...right?_ He slowly walked into the room, sitting next to the other on the bed. The movement seemed to have roused him a bit, making the half-breed's face turn into a grimace as his hand squeezed the blankets below him. Blue eyebrows furrowed in worry. _He said his stomach hurt, right?_ Gingerly, he placed a hand on the other's belly, feeling it go taut from the contact. Moving in small circles, the blue hedgehog gently rubbed it, trying to help with the pain. At first it seemed to make it worse, the other's body tightening in discomfort, before finally relaxing again, and continuing his deep sleep.

Azure made himself comfortable, lifting up the blankets to lay next to the other while laying on his side with a hand supporting his head as he continued the massage to ensure the other would have a painless rest. He glanced at the other's rib cage, seeing that the wound from last month had already healed and was no longer visible. Green eyes glanced at his own hand, pausing for a second on the ebony's lower stomach, "So my kid's in there, huh? It's so strange...I want ta have a life with ya, Shads, but...this isn't exactly what I had in mind...it's all happenin' a little too fast for me." _Too fast? I'm one ta talk. You'd think the fastest thing on Earth would like all things fast._ A sigh. "I jus' hope ya open up ta me more. It'd be a hard eight months if ya had your walls up the whole time."

His hand moved on its own, tracing lower along the black frame, finding a hip bone and dragging it gently down to his thigh. The blue ear twitched as the other's breath seemed to hitch for a second, bringing a smile the fawn lips, "So sensitive aren'tcha?" The hand found it's way between two thighs, finally resting and petting the soft fur there. The soft breathing turned to a pant. "Relax, Shads, I'm not gonna take advantage of ya while ya sleep." He smirked, the other was so amusing to mess around with.

However, his enjoyment was cut short and turned to worry as the other's soft pant turned into heavy puffs, as if the other was exerting himself. His little game quickly ended, moving his hand to the other's chest and shaking him slightly, "Shadow. Shadow!" He sat up, the other was close to hyperventilating now, sweat starting to pour down his forehead. He grabbed the other's shoulders, shaking him a little harder, "Shadow! Shadow, wake up!" The other squirmed in his grasp, as if trying to get away, "Shadow!" Crimson eyes finally flew open, their owner in a state of panic. He sat up quickly, pushing Sonic away from him and glancing around in confusion as to his surroundings. The blue hedgehog raised his hands slightly at the other, "Shadow, calm down, it's ok."

The alien half breed squirmed backwards until his back pressed against the wall behind him, breathing starting to slow down as his mind came back to him. He quickly checked to see that his inhibitor rings were still securely fastened around his wrists. Seeing they were, he glanced at the one beside him, realizing the other had just witnessed him awaking from a nightmare. What had it been about? It was all blurry and hard to make out, but it felt so real. He remembered an intense pain with a dark shadow over him, similar to the humans that had experimented and tortured him so many years ago. Enough of that; he pushed the nightmare out of his mind, focusing on the one beside him. That idiot was just sitting there looking at him as if he was some kind of hurt puppy. He swallowed, willing his voice not to crack, "What are you doing here?" Fawn arms lowered. Now that the other was awake and in the right state of mind, it was only natural for him to want answers as to what had happened when he had been unconscious. The blue hedgehog debated calling for Rouge, would it be easier for him to take the news from her?

"I brought ya here after ya passed out." He could at least try to talk to the other. After all, he'd never gotten to speak to him before. The black hedgehog glanced away gruffly, a bit tiffed that the other had been here the whole time, "Where is Rouge?" Sonic motioned behind him, "Makin' dinner." Shadow glared at him slightly, "...Why are you still here?" A hand scratched behind the blue quills, "Well, I never actually had the chance ta talk ta ya." He would wait to tell the other he was staying with them permanently until the other had learned why.

The half breed snorted, "Ah yes, the reason this all happened in the first place. Just what is so important that you could not leave me alone?!" Sonic was a bit taken aback, "I just wanted ta talk ta ya, Shads! It's been a whole month since..." Said hedgehog looked away again, head lowered slightly, "There is nothing to talk about." The blue hedgehog persisted, putting a hand over the other's, "C'mon, ya can't tell me ya didn't feel anythin' that night. Ya said ya needed time ta think and...well I gave you a whole month! I jus' wanna know...what our next move is?"

The hand was snatched away, "We relayed such emotions ONCE in the entire time we have known each other. Do you seriously think that we could ever-hrk!" Yet another sharp pain in his lower abdomen cut him off, one eye closing in pain as he fought to keep his ears upright. He couldn't let that blue hedgehog see him in pain. He was already ashamed he saw him in his moment of weakness at G.U.N. He slouched slightly, trying to ignore it as his hands gripped the blanket, "b-be in a relationship?!" The blue hedgehog's ears perked, reaching forward, before his hand was slapped away with a snarl, "I-I'm fine!" The other backed away again, ears lowering in rejection with a small sigh, "Ok. I guess I get why ya need more time before ya can make a decision on how ya feel about me. And I can see how it'd be hard ta figure out how ya felt about someone after only one day together. But at least gimme a chance; lemme show ya how'd it'd be like if we were together."

Tan slowly started to relax as he thought over the other's proposal, the cramp having passed now, allowing him to sit up straight once again. The black brows remained in a pointed glare, crimson eyes staring the other down. The first response that came to him was an immediate 'no', however as his mind was tangled with contrasting feelings, he elected to give in to the temptation, for now. He turned his head away, "Fine." _Do not make me wish I had not said that, Hedgehog._ This was too much to take right now, he had to give in. The sudden awakening from his deep sleep left him dizzy, causing his stomach to flip with a dull ache.

The hero seemed to jump with happiness inside at the chance. To even have been given one in the first place was a step in the right direction to him. He moved forward, crawling back over to the other. The half-breed eyed him, instinctively moving away, however the sudden movement forced his stomach to contract once again. "Hck!" He hunched over, still trying to move away from the one intruding his personal space, but the blue hedgehog wouldn't allow it. Taking advantage of his slouched stature, he managed to wriggle himself between the wall and the other, forcing the black to either lean against him, or sit up straight. Moving to allow the other to sit between his legs, he snaked his arms under the crimson striped ones, their owner starting to fume in rage, muttering profanities under his breath as he tried to ignore the cramp and his spinning head. Finally azure came to rest, moving a hand to the aching stomach of the one in front of him.

Shadow flinched at the contact, the sudden gentle touch surprising him. He bristled as the blood started to run to his face. Why was the other acting this way? He didn't ask to be cuddled! The hero dodged the threatening black quills, resting his chin on the ebony shoulder so he could see what he was doing. He slowly began to move his hand in the small circles as he he had before. Once again, he felt the anti-hero tense under him, before slowly beginning to relax.

The gentle rubbing made Shadow want to shiver, but he denied his body the chance. The pain had started to fade with the soft touches, and the massage helped distract him of his queasiness. As his body started to grow limp, he relaxed his quills and slowly sank backwards into the one behind him, letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he felt his ears start to droop slightly. Despite the situation being rather awkward and intruding to him, he'd let the other continue for now if it meant a calm stomach. The past month had been painful and exhausting, finally being relieved of that was welcomed.

Sonic beamed at the other's submission, he was finally being allowed to do exactly what he'd always wanted, be at Shadow's side. However, now that said hedgehog had calmed down, perhaps it was a good time to break the news. He gulped as nerves made him start to sweat slightly, "...Uh, Shads? There's...somethin' ya need ta know..."

Said hedgehog already felt his eyelids start to flutter, being so surprisingly relaxed he could fall asleep. The black ear flicked slightly at the other's statement. He let out a tired grunt, "What is it now?" He could hear the other swallowing nervously as well as how he moved his muzzle away from the other's ear. Sonic had never acted nervous around him, save for their little adventure a month ago. What could be so worrying that the hero was afraid to tell him? His eyes opened a bit more, intent on hearing what the other had to say. The blue hedgehog's other hand was fidgeting anxiously on his chest, a bit too close to his fluff for comfort. That was a sensitive spot, he didn't want to the other to discover it.

Azure finally spoke, "While you were unconscious, the doc at GUN ran some blood work ta see what had been makin' ya feel so bad." Ugh, that's right. They had drawn Shadow's blood right before he had passed out. He hated that Sonic had seen him act that way. He was not against the further research on his healing abilities, rather the contrary, he wanted it. If his DNA could heal other people like it was meant to for Maria, then he was more than willing to help. However why did they need his _blood_ for that. Couldn't they just take a cheek swab or something more simple? Admitting he was afraid of needles wasn't an easy task. He hated that he was scared of something so insignificant. But the inhumane experiments placed on him at an early age made him shake at the simple sight of one.

That's how it had always started, one shot to sedate; make him woozy until he couldn't move, but not enough to put him to sleep. Once he was immobilized and strapped down came the snapping of bones and bloodshed. His thoughts were interrupted as the hero continued, "They found somethin', but it doesn't really make any sense." Black brows furrowed. _So something really is wrong? I suppose it would confuse, after all, I am supposedly not able to fall ill. Is that it?_ "What did they find?" Sonic's massage had faltered now, using the hand to scratch behind his ear, "Um...well they said you'd be fine. Just need ta eat a more and get a bit more sleep. I know ya don't usually do that, but they said ya have ta now." Shadow looked up at him with a frown as much as the position would allow, "That does not provide me much of an answer. What was the diagnosis?" He saw sweat forming on Sonic's brow, "They said...you're...pregnant..." A blink. In the silence, the hero returned his hand and resumed his massage, giving the other a moment to process.

Pregnant?! Was that hedgehog really as much of an idiot as he seemed? Was he trying to make fun of him?! A small growl grew his throat as he glared up at the other, "That is not funny, Faker." Now it was the hero's turn to blink, "I-I'm not lying, Shads. That's what the blood said." Said hedgehog flicked an ear in anger, sitting up and moving away from the other to face him. The loss of the massage was a bit disappointing, but he had a moron to deal with, "That is not _possible_. Did you not listen to what I had told you before?!" He saw the faker looking past him and turned to see the bat in the doorway, holding two plates of food. She seemed a bit surprised, as if she was not expecting to see the half-breed awake.

Rouge had finished preparing dinner, making extra in case the sleeping hedgehog had awoken so that he could eat, if they could get him to. She was bringing a plate in to Sonic when she overheard the black hedgehog's voice; he seemed angry. So he finally woke up? Wasn't that worthless hero supposed to call for her? He better not have been bothering Shadow. Turning into the doorway, she heard the last statement from said being. Her eyes widened slightly as the two occupants looked at her, one looking rather cornered and the other accusing. _Did he tell him already? He was supposed to wait! Shadow's had enough for one day!_

She glared slightly at the blue hedgehog, "What did you tell him?" Sonic relaxed slightly, looking away, "The truth." Setting the plates of food on the nightstand, she sat on the bed next to the other occupants. Shadow had scoffed at the comment, looking to the house owner, "This faker is telling fairy tales. Would you please talk some sense into him?!" Rouge sighed, "He's not lying Shadow, it's true. Here." She pulled out the paper of his blood work the Doctor had given her before they left and handed it to him, "Read this. It proves everything." He eyed the paper hesitantly before taking it. He skimmed over the blood results; thankfully, growing up in a scientific environment allowed him to understand most of the terms.

The other two occupants watched and waited patiently for him to take it in. Shadow's brows furrowed and he blinked a few times, turning the paper over and back as if there should be more of an explanation, "This...does not make sense...They must have contaminated the samples..." Short white locks twisted as their owner shook her head, "The Doctor assured me she ran the tests several times for certainty. They all come back the same." The paper was slowly lowered onto the crossed black legs, crimson eyes staring off in front of him. The bat moved to put a hand on his, "Shadow, you're going to have a baby." The black hedgehog shook her off, "Rouge, please! Do you honestly believe any of this?! I am a male, this is physically impossible for me!" White brows furrowed at him, "Don't lie to me. Sonic told me everything." Said hedgehog lowered his head, looking away from the other who blinked before eyeing him in shock.

Canines made a brief appearance, "Even if he did, you should understand then that this is still absurd!" He paused for second, as if contemplating his next argument. Did he really want to reveal everything to her? What if Sonic truly hadn't told her the whole story? He swallowed, Rouge was his friend. She had accepted him up to this point, learning more about him shouldn't change that. Touching his chest with only his fingers, he looked at her, "I was born without a womb, without ovaries, without anything that would make this possible. Surely you can understand that there must be some mistake." The spy nodded slightly, "I get where you're coming from, Shadow. But blood doesn't lie. G.U.N. has tested it before and never found these results, so it's not like you're body is always producing those hormones. Look, if you prefer, I went out and bought some regular tests for you to try." She handed him a plastic bag that had been lying next to his bed. On the way back from work she had stopped to pick some up. She knew he would have trouble believing them.

The half-breed resolved to glare at her. Was nobody listening to him? He snatched the bag, taking a box out and reading the directions, before looking back at her, "Fine. If it will provide certainty to the situation, I will do it." He rose from the bed, a bit unsteady on his feet, and walked to the bathroom, the other two in tow. He slammed the door behind him before they could follow him in. The blue hero rubbed his hands nervously. It felt like he was about to find out all over again. The bat beside him leaned against the wall across from the door, arms crossed as her nails dug into the flesh slightly.

The black hedgehog inside opened each of the boxes separately. Rouge had purchased several different tests so that they would not only be relying on one, a bit overkill he thought, but this was an odd situation, so as much certainty as possible was needed. He read the instructions carefully. _They all require a urine sample? If it proves my point, then I guess I have no choice._ The several cups of coffee that morning would indeed come in handy. A few minutes went by until the door opened once again. He was not surprised to see the others waiting right outside. Rouge walked in, seeing the tests laid out across the sink; now was waiting, "They should be done in a few minutes. Do you feel well enough to wait here or do you want to go back and lay down?" Ebony frowned at her, "I'm fine, Rouge." "Jus' don't push yourself," the blue hedgehog said as he came in, seeing the glare and looking away, "it's not jus' you we need ta worry about anymore." "Erg! Faker, would you cease speaking that way?! This is nonsense! I am only doing these tests to prove you wrong so that you can leave!" He could not deny the queasiness in his stomach however at the thought. Playing denial made it easier to deal with. The blood results had disturbed him, but surely it was not feasible...right? The lab accidentally contaminating the blood samples felt more realistic, and doing these tests himself would provide a more accurate result knowing they weren't corrupted.

Sonic shrugged, "Oh c'mon, Shads! With all the experiments and stuff they did on ya, couldn't it happen?" Said hedgehog growled back, "You know nothing of what happened to me." "No, but that's the whole point! _Anything's_ possible." "Hush you two, one of the tests is coming up," The spy waved at them behind her to stop arguing. The hero joined her at the sink as the other crossed his arms. This was absolutely ridiculous. There was no way. Besides, if he was, there would have been signs. Of course he had been sick lately, similar to morning sickness. But if he was capable of reproducing in such a way he should have been seeing something akin to the feminine monthly cycle. He had nothing of the sort. His illness so soon after procreation was the only reason this solution was made.

Speaking of illness, this subject was making his stomach flip. Part of him wanted to go back and lay down, but his pride refused to allow it. He had told Rouge he was fine, and so he would be. It was strange though; he had never experienced anything like this before. The Ultimate Life form was immune to illness...at least he had thought he was. It had started a few days after Eggman's attack on Sonic. Rouge had refused to let him leave after she had found him cringing in the bedroom at a cramp. He had to admit - the timing did line up with pregnancy symptoms... Shadow felt his mind start to wander; what if it was true? _I saw it myself aboard the ARK during the surgeries. I've seen most of my internal organs at least once, however a uterus was not among them._ But what if what he remembered was a lie? It wouldn't be the first time his memories were tampered with. What if he was only recalling what he _wanted_ to remember?

A gloved hand lowered from it's position on the striped arms to his lower belly. Could there really be another life inside him? If that was true, what would become of his job? G.U.N had hired him for his use in battle, not for his clerical skills. He would have to take time off, if not be fired. The soldiers there would never treat him the same way-not that they saw him as anything other than a lab rat now-but it would be worse if they knew of his secrets. And where would he live? He had no home to call his own, he only stayed with Rouge because she forced him to. He would have to find somewhere safe enough to raise a child while trying to find work. And then there was that faker. If the half-breed was indeed carrying the hero's child, you can bet Sonic would want to be in the infant's life as much as possible. Shadow wasn't sure he was ready to face all these feelings at once. He could feel his heart start to race inside his chest as he thought of the possibilities. It suddenly felt much too warm in the bathroom.

"Shadow," said hedgehog snapped back into reality at his name. The other male was calling him, "Didja hear what I said? The tests are all done." Already? Had it been that long? Why were those two staring at him like that? He swallowed and took a step forward towards the sink where the tests lay. He felt afraid to look at them, black arms cradling his torso, trying to hide his body's shakes. The other mobians stepped back a bit to allow the other room as he glanced at the readers.

Positive. Every one of them. The spy stared in worry at her friend. She could see the slight trembles as well as hear the silent mumbles, "...that's not...how could..." The hero remained silent on the other side, studying the black hedgehog's reaction. Ebony felt as if he'd been hit by a train. Everything he was worried over suddenly became very real. This was happening, and it was happening right now. He felt his stomach lurch with an audible groan, bile rising in the back of his throat. A hand clamped itself around his mouth as the black ears lowered. _Oh no..._


End file.
